FLL Challenge:The Game

The Game for FIRST LEGO^® League Challenge consists of LEGO^® models and field mat that are based on the theme that FIRST releases for the challenge. There are many missions on a field and each instructs how the LEGO^® models need to be manipulated or transported from place to place to gain points. Each mission is worth a designated amount of points and it is up to the teams to decide which missions they want to complete. To compete in The Game, teams build a robot to complete as many missions as possible in two minutes and 30 seconds. Not all missions have to be completed and they don't have to be completed in any particular order. Every team around the world gets the same mat and models, and all teams are trying to complete the same missions.

The Field

Teams purchase a field kit from FIRST at the beginning of the season that includes the LEGO^® models and a nylon mat. FIRST creates LEGO^® models related to the game theme that are placed on the LEGO^® League mat. It sits on a table made up of a 4’x8’ sheet of plywood to create the game field.

Basic Rules

The following are the basic rules for The Game:

• The robot and all of its components must be made up of only parts manufactured by LEGO^®.
• Complete as many missions as possible in 2:30.
• Missions do not need to be completed in any particular order.
• All operations of the robot are autonomous.
• The robot can only be manipulated in the Launch and Home area during the match.
• The robot must start in the Launch area and finish in the Launch or Home area without interruption. Touching the robot between these areas results in a penalty. Each run has a limited number of these Interruption penalties.
• Only two team members (i.e. technicians) are allowed at the table during the 2:30 run. Technicians can be switched during the run if desired, as long as only two technicians are at the table at any one time.

At the competition

The tables at the competition are arranged in pairs and put back to back. A team may be paired with another team at the tables, but they are not directly competing against each other. The top score from each team’s three runs are ranked against all teams in the competition.

Tips

• Not all missions need to be done, and missions do not need to be completed in any particular order. Teams should determine which missions they want to attempt within the 2:30 time frame.
• CHECK THE UPDATES OFTEN, especially in the weeks before a competition, to make sure a rule hasn’t changed from how the team interprets it.
• Teams should understand and document their game strategy so that they can describe their decisions and decision making process to the judges at the competition.
• Teams can create a checklist that the technicians can go through before they start their robot performance run to make sure they didn’t forget anything.
• Technicians should take their time during the run. They have more time than they think and rushing could cause something to go wrong. Be consistent, calm, and deliberate.
• Practice, practice, practice. Start practicing robot performance runs with no timer and as the technicians practice, they will get faster and faster.

Additional Resources

FLL Challenge Resources